Democratic Party of Illinois

The Democratic Party of Illinois is a liberal political party in the US state of Illinois, affiliated with the US Democratic Party. The party was founded in the late 1830s as a conservative party, making it the oldest party in the state. Stephen A. Douglas was a prominent Illinois Democrat, having run against Abraham Lincoln and the US Republican Party during the presidential election of 1860. In 2008, Senator Barack Obama was elected President of the United States, representing the Illinois Democrats. In 2016, the Democrats held 39/59 State Senate seats and 71/118 State House of Representatives seats.